I Ain't a CrossDresser! Adventures of Inu & Co
by wulfiesacolyte
Summary: Stuff happens: Inu & co have just finished another huge battle with Naraku, and they discover a shrine that catches whatever they throw at it so that it can't be removed--such as Tetsusaiga. More happens after. PLEASE R&R, or even just read...please?
1. Who Needs Pie, We've Got Lizards

Wee, my first attempt at an actual story-format fanfiction for Inu-yasha! Aren't you proud? Well let's see, I actually have a whole plot planned out for this fic, let's see if I can keep the ending similar to what I planned ^-^ Hmm...No worries, or I'm sorry, whichever applies to you: No author's avatars are introduced into this fic, nor any new main characters; there's not even any real secondary characters introduced, other than the ones necessary to the plot. Nor are there any new character relationships hinted at or acted out (I.E. Kagome x Sesshoumaru [bleh] ...in fact, Sesshou doesn't even make an appearance) although ones already in place are not ignored. There's some comedy, not really more than there is in the series (at least I don't think so) and I tried to keep the character's behavior similar, accordingly. Just try to think of it like an addition to the actual manga, only in literary format...right...  
  
This takes place somewhere between Inu-yasha getting red Tetsusaiga and Kikyo dying (oops! Did I just give the plot away? Sorry...! Other stuff happens afterward, though.) Has anyone noticed Inu-yasha took a really long time before turning human again? Man, more than fifteen books, and it usually takes him only five or so. Well, I take care of that problem in this...sort of...you'll see ^-^ Hm, I think that's about it. Oh, I should mention this is PG-13 for language, because in the literal translation of the manga, both Inu-yasha and Kouga (who also doesn't make an appearance) swear a LOT, and I didn't really tone it down, since like I said, I tried to keep true to the character's personas. Nothing else is different really, though, so...yeah. Enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: Inu-yasha and the affiliated characters are © Rumiko Takahashi and her business associates. The idea for this doujinshi is © me, but I would be most honored if Ms. Takahashi or anyone else wanted to draw it out for me ^-^  
  
(p.s. the "Big Hip Blues" is a song from the anime-only Ranma ½ episode, "Pelvic Bone Fortune-Telling? Ranma is the No. 1 Bride in Japan", and since Takahashi does Ranma 1/3, as well as Inu-yasha, I added it as a sort of...private joke...haha...I think...)  
  
"Oo, woo-oo-oo, I've got the Big Hip Blues..."  
  
Inu-yasha's lids flickered at Kagome's innocuous humming, as it unfortunately filtered right into his right ear. His initial impulse to knock her into silence was squelched by his sizable fear of the repercussions, but it took a few moments more before he could continue his pace normally. Unfortunately, Kagome noticed his pause, and felt no indecision in inquiring about it.  
  
"What's up, Inu-yasha? Notice something strange?"  
  
Well, at least she had shut up momentarily. "Eh." Lifting his chin, he nodded briefly ahead of them. "Ain't we getting close yet? We've been following this fucking trail for over a day."  
  
"Actually," Miroku countered, coming up beside them, "It's been less than an hour." Inu-yasha turned slowly, glowering at Miroku with an expression that would have turned lesser men to stone, but the monk merely waved his hand dismissingly and patted Inu-yasha on the shoulder. "If you're tired, Inu-yasha, why not just come out and say it? I, too, admit to being famished."  
  
"Feh!" Inu-yasha shouted in reply, slightly embarrassed. "I ain't tired of- "  
  
"Did I hear correctly that you plan to adjourn for a meal?" Sango asked, riding upon a rather beleaguered Kirara and carrying a drowsy Shippou. It seemed the others were still tired from their last battle with the demon Naraku, and even Inu-yasha had to admit to himself that he was not fully recovered. It had been a long time since any of them had had a real rest, and Inu-yasha owed it to them to concede to the point and allow a brief respite, if for no other reason than to make them stronger if they should meet Naraku again soon.  
  
Still, he wasn't about to hand over his victory easily. "You fucking humans. So damn weak. Fine," he concluded, beginning to shoulder off Kagome onto the ground, much to her surprise. "If you're all so tired, you stay here and rest. I'm going ahead. Just over here, you said?" He asked, looking at Kagome and gesturing towards a high rise in the withered meadow.  
  
"Uh..." The confusion cleared from her expression as Kagome realized his intent, and he knew he was in trouble when her brows lowered dangerously. "No. Farther than that. And no way you're leaving us here, Inu-yasha."  
  
"Lady Kagome is right," said Miroku, glad that the others were backing him up. "What if Naraku comes?"  
  
"Feh," Inu-yasha repeated, hesitating a moment and looking from Miroku to Kagome and back again. "You mean you can't take care of her yourself, Miroku? So much for helping the common man."  
  
"Ignoring your duties again so soon, Inu-yasha?" With a bitter glare, Sango lowered her eyes disdainfully and turned to Kagome. "Do not worry, Kagome. I will protect you."  
  
Kagome looked to Sango, slightly puzzled. "Uh..."  
  
"As will I," Miroku added, laying a reassuring hand on her lower back. Kagome's countenance flickered and she shot Miroku a disparaging glance, which he shook off with practiced apathy.  
  
Inu-yasha reacted with similar hostility. "On second thought, I don't think I should leave her with the likes of you." He turned and nodded to Kagome, careful to keep his face locked in its usual scowl. "It's up to you, Kagome. Stay or go?" Looking around briefly, he frowned at the almost total lack of vegetation. "I guess I could find something to eat if I have to."  
  
"Well..." Kagome looked down at her hands and folded them thoughtfully, deep in consternation. "We're pretty close to the jewel fragments, and it would be a real shame if someone got to them before us... On the other hand, we hurt Naraku pretty bad, back at his castle. He'll probably be out of it for quite a while. The only other powerful person looking for the fragments besides us and Naraku is..." She stopped at just the right moment and looked towards Inu-yasha nervously, who returned her gaze with near- demon eyes blazing with hatred. "Ahem," she continued. "Maybe we should just eat. It won't take so long, and I'm really hungry besides." It had also been more than a week since she had had a good night's sleep, but she was wary of seeming selfish and didn't bring up the matter. She would just have to wait until someone else brought it up, and then back them up appropriately. That was, unless she started falling asleep in the middle of battles.  
  
"Well, you heard the girl." Inu-yasha hit his fist into his palm and stamped his foot into the ground once. "Here's good as anywhere. Start a fire if you want; I'm gonna find something to eat."  
  
"I shall stay here to aid the women," Miroku volunteered, just as Inu-yasha grabbed at the nape of his robes.  
  
"Hell no. You're coming with me."  
  
Sango and Kagome sighed and exchanged glances as the men left on their usual exploit. "At least he didn't try to feel you up this time," Kagome said cheerily as Sango halved firewood with her boomerang.  
  
"He just didn't get the chance," Sango replied, keeping her tone neutral. Her next swing with Hiraikotsu came down especially hard, not only cutting the log but splintering it into dust. Kagome and Shippou winced respectively.  
  
"You know, Inu-yasha. I wasn't going to try anything. Don't you have any respect for me yet?"  
  
"No," Inu-yasha replied plaintively, scanning the horizon with his sharp eyes and sniffing the air vigilantly. "Besides, I need you to tell me what's edible and what's not."  
  
"You don't know?" Miroku asked, genuinely surprised. "You need to eat too, am I not correct?"  
  
"..." Inu-yasha's ears perked as he heard a slight rustling from a clump of dried grass, and in an instant he was upon it, his nail pierced through the creature's midsection.  
  
"A lizard," Miroku remarked, eyeing the prey appraisingly.  
  
"Edible?" Inu-yasha questioned, with no pause for elaboration.  
  
"Well...yes, but probably not among the girls' preferred delicacies."  
  
"Too bad." Inu-yasha shoved his hand beneath Miroku's nose, and the monk took it into his own hands, before looking at Inu-yasha inquiringly.  
  
"What would you have me do with it?" He took a bite from the tail, and grimaced immediately. "Ugh."  
  
"Put it in something." Inu-yasha said no more before he was out on the prowl again, jumping from bush to bush and looking for anything that so much as moved. He came back after a few minutes with a handful of bugs and other vermin, all of which Miroku frowned upon.  
  
"What's wrong with this field?" Miroku complained at length, staring distastefully at a stinkbug that was taking its time in dying (and wasting as much of its essence as it could upon Miroku's palm). "Where is all the small game? Come to think of it, what's wrong with the plant life, as well? Everything's dead and dying."  
  
"I dunno. Drought?" Inu-yasha took one more sniff before turning to Miroku, shrugging and shaking his head. "There's nothing else out here. We can bring this back to the girls or go look for some forest."  
  
"Erm. I would have to opt for the latter," Miroku said, gazing down at the grotesque menagerie of earthworms, stinkbugs, lizards, scorpions and snails that now covered his hands and arms with refuse and bug guts. "I'll...let the birds have these."  
  
It was several hours later, almost near dusk, when Sango turned to Kagome and remarked quietly, "Been awhile, hasn't it?"  
  
"Mmm?" Kagome turned to her side, looking up at Sango and stretching sleepily. "Since what?"  
  
"Since they left." Lifting her gaze, Sango watched the horizon, peering as if willing Miroku's silhouette to appear in the darkness that contrasted against the dying sun. "How long does it take to find some food?"  
  
"Maybe they got lost," Kagome suggested, not worried in the slightest. *Miroku's probably going on about Sango, and Inu-yasha's probably ignoring him,* she thought, smiling sadly. *I wish Inu-yasha would go on about me like that...*  
  
"Maybe." Seeing Kagome lay out upon the grass lazily, Sango did the same, staring at the sky as tiny lights began to discern themselves from the fading blue of the sky. "Isn't it funny, though?"  
  
"What's funny?" Kagome asked in the same blasé voice as before. Sango was obviously worried about Miroku, which struck Kagome as both cute and wistful. *To have someone worry about him like that...Miroku should feel a lot more honored and be more respectful than he is.* Still, it was not her business. Sango and Miroku would just have to work it out as best they could, and Kagome would hope for the best.  
  
"The way we always end up like this. Inu-yasha and Miroku go off on their adventures, and we wait behind to take care of the aftermath. This is such a chauvinistic society."  
  
"You could have gone with them," Kagome remarked, somewhat tired of Sango's occasionally feminist attitude. Normally she was much more sensitive to Sango's feelings, as they were close in age and similar in outlook, but tonight she was just so...darn...tired. It was about time, anyway, than Sango realized that most of her anger and issues were caused by her own groundless conjecturing.  
  
Sango stiffened, and Kagome felt the slight increase of tension in the air. She sighed. "I'm sorry. I know how uncomfortable you get around Miroku." "I don't...I have no interest in that monk whatsoever!"  
  
*Oh, not this again.* "Okay, Sango. Whatever you say." Kagome turned on her side to face the other way. A bit of dry grass got in her eyes and she groaned, blinking rapidly. "Ugh. I wish we could make a tent of some kind."  
  
"I would have, had I known we would be here so long. Damnit, where are they?!" She stood, and looked in several directions. "Ho!" She called loudly. "Miroku! Inu-yasha! Are you there?"  
  
"Not so loud, Sango," Kagome muttered. "Do you *want* to attract demons?" The woman instantly fell silent, feeling guilty. "I, uh, no," she whispered, dropping to her knees and looking through her packs, just so she had something to do. "Do you have a brush? I've been dying to get some of the bristles out of my hair."  
  
"Yeah." Kagome gestured to her large backpack, parked beside her bike. "Get it yourself."  
  
*I hope Miroku returns soon,* Sango thought to herself as she pulled the horsehair brush from the back and began running it through her tangled ponytail. *What if they were attacked by demons?! Oh, I hope he returns soon! If he doesn't, I'll kill him!!*  
  
Meanwhile, Shippou ran along the edge of the meadow, Kirara in kitten-form scampering along beside him. "Come on, Kirara!" he called encouragingly, pausing now and then to sniff the air for any sign of Inu-yasha or Miroku. "I smell yokai in the air. We have to reach Inu-yasha before the yokai do!"  
  
Kirara mewed in agreement. 


	2. Arg Grr Growl Not Again

I got no reviews, period. (that one in there is me apologizing for a typo). Oh well. Please read and review. Here is the second chapter.  
  
I had so much writer's block yesterday and today. Still, I managed to get this out. Writer's block sucks, indeed it does. La.  
  
Oh yeah, and I stink at cliffhanger endings. Sorry.  
  
Disclaimer: Inu-yasha and the affiliated characters are © Rumiko Takahashi and her business associates. The idea for this doujinshi is © me, but I might consider lending it to someone if they sell me their soul. Or bake me cookies. Whichever is easiest.  
  
--  
  
The shadows of dusk filtered silently through the withered pillars of the ancient trees, striking the swirling facets of the wall like dark forces of the netherworld. A foul odor surrounded the small shrine and its barrier, reeking of old flesh and refuse. Inu-yasha made no pretense about holding his nose, staring at the red haze in irritation and displeasure.  
  
"What do you think it is?" Miroku asked, and Inu-yasha was surprised to hear a touch of awe in his voice.  
  
"It's a trap. What else? If I can break through Naraku's barrier, then this is nothing. Ha!" Grabbing Tetsusaiga from its sheath and brandishing it with the familiarity of a blooded samurai, Inu-yasha charged forward, swinging the blade down artlessly upon the barrier. The miasma flickered and swirled in reaction to the blow, but instead of bouncing off as Inu- yasha had expected, the sword slowed to a halt, becoming encased within the thick, blood-colored wall of clouds. "What the hell?"  
  
"Inu-yasha! Don't!" Miroku cried, too late. Running forward, he lifted his hands in a gesture of defense, staring at the wall and Tetsusaiga within its grasp with obvious respect and suspicion.  
  
"What. The. Hell." Though only an inch or two sunk in, the Tetsusaiga was immobile. It was as if the sword was once again lodged in the pedestal of his father's bones, and any attempt to remove it was utterly pointless. Inu- yasha began to panic, and he tried as he usually did to cover up his anxiety with anger. Slamming his fist against the wall produced nothing, not even a ripple; all it did was sting his hand and singe the edge of his hair as it swept past the miasma. Inu-yasha growled loudly as a show of his frustration, and Miroku looked no more happy about the predicament than he.  
  
"Wait." Raising his left hand, Miroku walked forward slowly, his eyes fixated on the barrier before him. The red in the walls seemed to deepen near where his hand was, until it resembled molten lava. After a moment more, it began to bubble.  
  
"This is a concealing spell." Inu-yasha turned towards Miroku in surprise, looking from him to the barrier in uneasy interest.  
  
"What do you mean? Who cast it?"  
  
"I don't know, but I know how to get rid of it." Miroku kept his left hand raised, and with his right hand, he withdrew from his robes a small paper with encrypted writing upon it. Tossing the paper towards the wall, Miroku jumped away, just as the o-fuda hit the wall and it erupted in a blinding red light that dissipated as soon as it had appeared. Inu-yasha grunted and covered his eyes, but the threat was already past. The red had bleached away, leaving in its place a reflective fence of liquid more lucid than pure water.  
  
As his vision cleared and he could once again identify individual shapes, Inu-yasha stared towards the liquid and was amazed at what he saw. Before him stood a monstrous dog with shimmering white hair, larger than a mountain with eyes that shone like new gold. It was his father.  
  
"What-?!" Inu-yasha stumbled forward, and was astonished to watch the dog demon do the same. Experimentally, he lifted his right hand-and the demon lifted its left paw. Inu-yasha cocked his head to the left, and the dog leaned its head to the right. Inu-yasha growled.  
  
"Miroku, you idiot. What did you do? The barrier's still there," Inu-yasha angrily demanded, jabbing a finger into the clear film of the façade and wincing as it burned his skin.  
  
"Yes, I realize that, Inu-yasha," Miroku replied, involved in holding his injured left hand as smoke wafted mildly from his fingertips. "However that spell wasn't intended to remove the barrier. I have no idea how to do that, until I can identify what kind of barrier it is."  
  
Inu-yasha smirked mirthlessly and folded his arms, coming to stand over Miroku imposingly. "No? Then why the hell'd ya cast it?"  
  
"That was a clarity spell, you numbskull. The red haze was keeping the true nature of the barrier obscured. My spell eliminated that effect." Miroku surprised him with an angry glare. It seemed he was not pleased to receive backlash from Inu-yasha when their situation was already on a downslide.  
  
"Yeah, well." Backing away, Inu-yasha sent another tentative glance toward the reflective wall. The image of his chichi-ue peered back at him quietly. Inu-yasha shuddered. "It's getting dark. We should go back to the girls."  
  
"I'm aware of that, Inu-yasha. However, don't you think you should be more concerned with getting Tetsusaiga back? What if another demon comes and finds it?"  
  
Inu-yasha was obviously flustered, and his brows lowered as he shouted at Miroku. "Of course I'm concerned! It's stuck, though, and for all we know, Kagome and Sango are fighting demons right now. Come on, Miroku. We'll come back in a bit." Why was he so worried about getting back? It wasn't as if the thought of another demon finding the sword didn't wrench his stomach and make him feel like emptying its contents. It was just that, ever since he'd thought Kagome had died within the mountain, he was forever reliving the episode in his memories. The fact that she very literally could at that very moment be battling for her life did not reassure him in the slightest.  
  
Miroku stood, and looked to Inu-yasha, his eyes strangely thoughtful. "You are right. We should return." Without another word, he turned heel and began marching back in the girls' direction, leaving Inu-yasha in his wake to stare at Miroku's backside in wonder at his sudden reversal. Was he worried about Sango? Or did he sense something he wasn't tell Inu-yasha? Whatever it was, Inu-yasha took advantage of his decision and followed. Sending one last frantic glance towards Tetsusaiga in its perch within the wall, he, too, turned around and set off at a quick pace behind Miroku.  
  
"Why does this look familiar?" The trees creaked and towered as Shippou looked about him, staring at the variations in the dilapidated foliage of the dead forest and wondering where he must have taken a wrong turn. "Does this smell familiar, Kirara?"  
  
Kirara paused and lifted her little nose, twitching it as she took in the various odors of the woods. After a moment, she turned to look at Shippou with large eyes that shone with worry. "You, too?" Shippou commented. "Huh."  
  
"Well, we'll just have to be more careful," Shippou said as he climbed onto Kirara's back and stroked the fur of her mane affectionately. Kirara waited until he was secure before shifting forms, the ground suddenly shrinking below her as her body thickened and elongated into that of a demonic tiger's. They took off at a run, darting beneath low-hanging branches and winding past rotten stumps and fallen tree limbs. No matter how far they traveled, the basic scenery seemed to repeat itself, until Kirara was out of breath and she was forced to slow to a steady trot. Shippou shuddered slightly and clung more tightly, goosebumps rising on his young flesh.  
  
"Kirara," he whispered, close to her ear. "What is that feeling? There's a demon here."  
  
The feline stopped and turned around, scanning the area with her sharp cat eyes for anything incongruous with the rest of the setting. Slowly, undulating like vines on a tree, a pair of tentacles stretched towards the two smaller demons, groping at them with clawed patches of flesh at both ends. Shippou squeaked in surprise and buried his face into Kirara's fur, while the cat demon jumped away and glared at the tentacles anxiously. They seemed to belong to no solid body, merely appearing from somewhere and attacking them from behind. It didn't take long for the two to realize they were up against more than they could handle, and they dived away into the bushes, with the tentacles in quick pursuit.  
  
Again, they ran into the same problem of repeated scenery, and Kirara began to growl in alarm. "A trap!" Shippou announced suddenly, ducking as Kirara squeezed between two branches. "Kirara, it's a trap! Quick! Turn around and go past the monster!"  
  
Kirara hesitated, obviously wary of the kitsune's logic, but eventually admitted him superiority and whirled around, baring her fangs and spitting in a display that actually gave the monster pause. All too soon, though, the tentacles recovered and once more swung towards them, but this time Kirara dodged forward, pitching beneath the tentacles and heading directly towards wherever the creature's body would be. She encountered nothing, but kept running, and eventually broke through the forest and into the field of dead grass: it seemed they had been just along the edge the whole time.  
  
"Find Inu-yasha!" Shippou cried, reminding her of their plan. She tilted her head as she ran, orienting on his scent and lunging forward, leaving Shippou to hold onto her fur and bounce along helplessly behind. He looked back, and was horrified to find the tentacles following them, simply extending on and on out of the darkness of the forest. Kirara ran with the speed of demons, and within moments, they saw the light of a fire as the others' camp came into view. "Inu-yasha!" Shippou cheered, but found he was not there. "What...?"  
  
Kagome looked up sleepily from her seat by the fire, and screamed as she saw the tentacles following only a few yards behind the feline and Shippou. Sango looked up as well, and grabbed for her boomerang in readiness, but there was no need.  
  
"Soul Shattering Iron Claw!!" The tentacles exploded as if filled with munitions, and bits of it fell everywhere. The fact that it was endless didn't seem to matter-as soon as the end segments were destroyed, the rest followed. Kagome gasped and spit in disgust as a clump of scaly flesh landed on her tongue, and she had a tough time resuming her normal breathing afterward, due to all the meat and slime still descending through the air.  
  
"Gods! We leave you alone for an hour and you get attacked by demons? You have weapons too! Use them!!"  
  
"Inu-yasha!" Ignoring his reprimand, Kagome jumped to her feet and ran forward, plowing into his chest and clutching his robes as if she had never expected to see him again. She held him a moment, then abruptly pushed him away and glared at him in irate fury, shaking her fist with the vehemence of her statement. "Where were you?! You were gone for hours and hours!"  
  
"I apologize. We were unexpectedly detained." The bangles of Miroku's staff clinked as he approached, and his eyes were cast low, almost as if he was feeling humble for their tardiness.  
  
"I take it you found something interesting, then," Sango said, setting the brush back within Kagome's satchel and twisting her hair up into its usual high tail. "Either that, or you really couldn't find anything to eat."  
  
"Eat...!" Inu-yasha's eyes looked away in surprise as he remembered. "I'm sorry, Kagome. We forgot all about that." Kagome merely grunted her displeasure, once again holding onto his robes tenaciously.  
  
"I'm afraid we'll have to find our food elsewhere. The terrain here is completely barren of suitable prey." Sango sent Miroku a glare that clearly stated she disbelieved him, but he must have deigned not to make an issue of it, for he said nothing.  
  
"Inu-yasha!" Shippou called, coming forward as the kitten Kirara paced him. "What did you find?"  
  
"Uh...find? We didn't find anything!" Inu-yasha blurted, growing red in the face as his hand automatically went for his empty sheath.  
  
Kagome looked down towards his hand, and frowned. "Inu-yasha? Where is Tetsusaiga?"  
  
"I-I-it's nowhere!" Oh, right. Quick thinking there, Inu-yasha. Still, it was too late to withdraw his statement; he would just have to roll with the punches, or the accusations, as was the case.  
  
As expected, Kagome's eyes narrowed and she growled in anticipation of a fight. "What kind of an excuse is that?! If you're going to lie to me, you might as well make an honest effort to sound believable! Man, Inu-yasha! Here I was all worried sick about you, when you were probably out terrorizing townsfolk because they smell funny, or out with Miroku, scouting the ladies, or, or, or looking for Naraku or Kikyo again..."  
  
Inu-yasha caught her wrist, startling her into silence. "You were worried about me?" He questioned, seeming smug despite her venting. She looked at him with wide eyes, caught off-guard by his demeanor.  
  
"What?"  
  
Miroku cleared his throat impatiently, bringing everyone's attention back to him. "Since it seems Inu-yasha was unable to keep his story in secrecy, I shall tell you all now: We lost Tetsusaiga."  
  
The ground seemed to shudder with the force of Kagome's outrage. "WHAT?!?" She demanded, a few octaves louder than Inu-yasha could ever recall hearing her use before.  
  
"Ahem. Well, not permanently, we hope. We came up against a bizarre force field, where Inu-yasha-in his usual fit of recklessness-swung Tetsusaiga towards the wall, lodging it in there almost instantly. Obviously we must need some sort of counter spell to get rid of the barrier and loosen Tetsusaiga, otherwise he could have pulled it out with brute strength alone. I suggest we tour the local villages for someone who knows something of this wall. Until then, though, let us bed down in hopes of catching at least *some* sleep before morning." He spent no time waiting for their approval; indeed, he said nothing more but walked to a space near Sango and unrolled a cloth pallet, lying on the hard ground with an obvious noise of discomfort. Sango eyed him warily but decided they were both too tired for a confrontation and laid down for sleep as well. She was rewarded a few moments later by Miroku's hand stroking her hip comfortingly.  
  
"Are you really okay with this, Inu-yasha?" Kagome asked, patently ignoring Miroku's grunts as Sango beat him with her boomerang. "I mean, you haven't really been apart from Tetsusaiga this long since you got it, have you? Not out of sight of it, I mean."  
  
Inu-yasha frowned and looked at the ground, folding his legs in as he settled into a less vigilant pose, though still tinged with wariness. "It doesn't look as if I have much of a choice, does it?"  
  
"Oh, Inu-yasha." Kagome sighed and knelt beside him, hesitating before folding her hands in her lap and watching him from the corner of her eye. "Everything will be alright."  
  
"You don't have to coddle me," Inu-yasha replied slowly, closing his eyes in a silent gesture that she should drop the subject. Kagome sighed and inched closer, then leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder. Inu- yasha didn't push her away, but he made mo move to hold her, either. Kagome shrugged mentally, figuring that was all she could ask for, and tried to drift off into a long-awaited but fitful sleep.  
  
--  
  
There we go, chapter two. Um...not much to say, other than sorry about when I ramble...I try not to... Um... Please read and review... Thanks. 


	3. Ew Stinky Kill It! Kill It!

...  
  
Please write a comment? If only to tell me this fic sucks? I feel so...so...unread -_-  
  
Disclaimer: Inu-yasha and the affiliated characters are © Rumiko Takahashi and her business associates. The idea for this doujinshi is © me, or maybe © my muse, or maybe the idea is copyrighted to my muse, but the actual writing out of it is copyrighted to me, or maybe we both have a joint copyright, or maybe it's all actually copyrighted to Takahashi since it's her characters, but then what about the ideas I made up out of my own head? Or does this go under the category of "the end justifies the means", so all this is © to Takahashi simply because I never would have been inspired in the first place if it wasn't for her manga series? ...ugh. My head hurts.  
  
In other news, I want to write an A/U for Inu-yasha, set in medieval England/France (Sesshou is French)! Woo! (Going to Seattle tomorrow. This = No updates for more than a week. So sad. ---  
  
In the darkness of the night, a dark figure soundlessly slipped from the campsite and ran quickly, disappearing into the shadows. Moments after, another figure rose, and she, too, followed close behind.  
  
Oblivious to his pursuer, Inu-yasha whisked along, intent on returning to the edge of the forest, where the temple lay. He sensed Tetsusaiga pulsing, throbbing with a strong heartbeat as it awaited its retrieval, calling to him, reprimanding him for leaving it behind. Inu-yasha's thoughts grew dour as he ran, and he recalled all the horrors that could befall him if Tetsusaiga was taken away; in the hands of anyone with the power to use it, it could be a weapon of total destruction. Inu-yasha only hoped Sesshoumaru did not again lust after the blade, or else he doubted he would ever get it back. The thought of losing Tetsusaiga to that bastard made his feet fly that much faster.  
  
The chains about her exterminator's outfit clinked softly as Sango clung to Kirara's long mane and they ran after the dog demon, pursuing him as fast and silent as an owl swooping down upon its prey. Had Inu-yasha been any less distracted, he would have noticed them with his sensitive ears and keen olfactory senses, but they remained hidden from all other creatures of the plain. Kirara slowed as Inu-yasha drew near the forest and began to search about for the temple; once he had found it, Sango slid from Kirara's back and bade her stay with a gentle caress of the feline's face. With that, Sango secured Kiraikotsu about her waist and set after Inu-yasha, distrustful of his motives and responsive to his secretive movements for both Kagome's and her own sake.  
  
"Bastard!" Inu-yasha grunted and rubbed his wrist sorely as the colorless miasma flickered and swirled from the aftershock of Inu-yasha's touch. Any time his living flesh touched the wall, the barrier jolted him with something akin to an electric shock, so powerful that it both burned his flesh and sent him flying backward. Heedless of repeated experience, Inu- yasha again sprang to his feet and launched himself at the wall, scraping down with his claws and biting back a yelp of pain as the miasma scorched his digits. This was futile. How could he get past a barrier that both enveloped weapons and scalded sinew? The only way he could think of was by destroying it, but how did he do that?  
  
Even more disconcerting was the image of his father, which flickered in the reflections of the wall constantly, copying his every move and piercing him with terrible, soulless eyes. Had his father been like this in life, or was the likeness altered, deadened, in this magically conjured state? Inu-yasha shivered as he growled in the direction of the wall and his "father" returned the gesture, not only going through the motions but also producing the sounds, causing the ground to tremble minutely with the dark alto of his voice. Did the creator of this barrier find it amusing to disturb Inu- yasha by replicating the voice and image of his father? Inu-yasha scolded himself for being affected, but he could not deny the fear and sizable level of respect he felt, even viewing this pseudo replica of his father. He was both lucky and cursed to be the offspring of such a once-powerful demon.  
  
Sango watched Inu-yasha from the bushes, keenly aware of his frustration and wondering at his complete brazenness in dealing with the barrier. It was obvious he should stop wasting his energies in fruitless battling and instead search for a knowledgeable priest, as Miroku had said; still, Inu- yasha insisted on trying to deal with the problem in his own fashion. Sango shook her head slightly, caught halfway between a chuckle and scowling. For all his words and impulsive actions, Inu-yasha really was a child. Oh well. All children grow up, eventually.  
  
Or they die in the process.  
  
Her outlook was only partial; most of it was obscured by the foliage as she attempted to keep from view. She could only see passing glimmers of the shapes on the wall, and could only make out white fur and hair in the style of Inu-yasha's. Irritated by her own curiosity, Sango stepped forward cautiously, staring from Inu-yasha to the wall as her perspective broadened. Suddenly she saw a giant demon dog growling at her and her hand automatically went for the boomerang at her back, pulling loose the ties simultaneously with her other hand as she grabbed at the knots at either end and launched the boomerang forward. It hit the wall with a soft sucking sound before melting into the barricade, and Sango froze, staring in horror as the boomerang lodged itself just a few inches away from the tip of Inu- yasha's blade, Tetsusaiga. Inu-yasha's hair whipped through the air as his gaze snapped towards her, and he growled a low warning moments before rushing forward and grabbing her shoulders roughly.  
  
"What the hell are you doing?!" He demanded, shaking her so hard her neck felt as if it was about to break. Sango caught her breath as her thoughts whirled, then batted Inu-yasha away and fell backward, catching herself then leaning over in shock and exhaustion.  
  
"What...what is that thing?" Sango gasped, glaring sharply towards the barrier. "What happened to our weapons?"  
  
"They're stuck, you idiot. I was trying to get Tetsusaiga back, but now, thanks to your moronic tendencies, we're both weaponless. This is just ideal. What if Naraku comes?! We'll be almost helpless!!"  
  
"It's your damn fault for sneaking away like that!!" She raised a fist and swung at Inu-yasha, thoroughly fed up with his insults and his constant barrage of blame-throwing. That very same reaction of throwing Kiraikotsu had saved her life and the lives of her friends many times before; Inu- yasha had no right to judge her when he was just as, if not far more impulsive than she was. Incensed and still reeling from the shock of losing her best and primary weapon, Sango let out her own warning growl, one so loud and low that it gave even Inu-yasha pause.  
  
"Feh. Stupid bitch." Inu-yasha turned and again looked towards the barrier, disregarding Sango as if she wasn't even worthy of his time.  
  
Sango blanched, and her eyes grew bloodshot with rage. "You child, you stupid child, Inu-yasha!! This is completely your fault for being so stupid and irrational! Is your first reaction always to attack an enemy without even bothering to gauge its weakness? Surely there are traps like this elsewhere in the world; what if you encounter another one? Would you do exactly the same thing, and just get Tetsusaiga stuck again, like you always do? You stupid child! You are mean to everyone, you always get us in trouble, and then you have the incomprehensible *audacity* to blame *me*?! No wonder your father died! You're probably the one that drove him to his grave!!"  
  
"Don't you dare talk about my father." A shiver passed through Sango as Inu- yasha paused and turned, glaring at her from beneath the hood of his white bangs with a look that spelled out her doom. "I didn't know him, but he was my father nonetheless. Don't you *dare* talk about him so casually. He was the king of the western lands, and he was more powerful than you, or Miroku, or any mere mortal or lesser demon could ever hope to be!!"  
  
The woman recoiled, shocked by his vehemence. She opened her mouth in preparation for a nasty comeback, but their attention was drawn towards the field as they heard angry shouting and saw Miroku running towards them, quickly followed by Kagome and Shippou as they pulled most of their supplies behind. Inu-yasha's brows lowered, as he was angry at having their confrontation interrupted, but Sango looked almost relieved. She even went so far as to smile as soon as Miroku was within clear earshot.  
  
"Are you *trying* to attract Naraku, or what?!? Shut up, you imbeciles!" Miroku scolded in a fierce whisper. Inu-yasha's ears flattened slightly and Sango frowned as they both realized Miroku was right, but he was far from ending his reprimand.  
  
"Not only did you disturb my sleep, you also shouted so loud that you woke every demon within ten miles! You idiots! Now is a terrible time to deal with them, yet you are deliberately attracting as many as you can! Have you no sense? If you *must* be suicidal, please do it when not on my watch! Dear gods! You have no brains!"  
  
Inu-yasha's ears turned back and he stared at Miroku impudently, daring him to continue. "I was just trying to get my sword back," he mumbled, a weak defense if ever there was one.  
  
"And your excuse for making so much noise about it? Did you simply *forget* that this forest happens to be inhabited by demons?"  
  
"Miroku," Kagome said quietly, starling everyone as they turned to look at her. "I'm sorry, but I don't see any demons. Are you sure they're here?"  
  
He frowned. "Of course they are! I can feel their presence everywhere. I don't know why they haven't come yet. Maybe they decided Inu-yasha was too noisy and they kept away for fear of losing their hearing."  
  
"Shut up." Inu-yasha straightened and began walking back to the field, brushing past Miroku without so much as a glance or muttered apology. Miroku glared after him, hand clenched white-knuckled about his staff as thoughts of braining Inu-yasha swam about his head. Sango glanced at Miroku nervously, and was relieved to find most of his anger was directed towards Inu-yasha; then Miroku's gaze shifted, and he regarded Sango with the same look of distain, only slightly lessened than what he had sent towards Inu- yasha.  
  
"Well, I don't-" Kagome was cut off as a tree suddenly found itself disconnected from its trunk and came crashing downward, landing less than a foot away from Kagome's head. She screamed and jumped away, holding a hand to her chest and feeling her heart pound away a mile a minute.  
  
Miroku raised his staff and scouted the area for signs of the perpetrator, brows low as his fears were confirmed. "Kagome, Sango, get behind me," he demanded, raising his staff in preparation.  
  
Another tree fell and a large, lumbering monster the size and shape of a refuse pit emerged through the gap, letting loose a gurgling roar as it swung a massive hand down towards and onto the monk. The staff hit the arm, diffusing it down to its contents, and both girls sneezed as bits of foliage and feces rained down on them. Miroku was forced to ignore the stench and discomfort as the monster drew away and its hand reformed, once more swinging it down and into the trio. This time Kagome screamed.  
  
"Inu-yasha!!"  
  
The call for help was unnecessary; the monster was already being attacked from above by streaks of white and red that tore and rendered it with claws and well-placed kicks, until the monster was broken down into nothing more than piles of trash. Inu-yasha stood amongst the macabre sediment, panting and holding his arms up in disgust as the monster's stink assailed him full force. Kagome coughed and stumbled forward, grabbing at his robes and almost crying with relief. She was surprised when he threw her back into the ground.  
  
"Stay back!!" Inu-yasha demanded, jumping away as he spoke. "It's not dead yet!" Even as he said it, the piles of trash pulled together, reforming into the monster until it looked only slightly worse for wear than it had before. Miroku shouted at Inu-yasha to get away, but he ignored it, once more tearing the monster to bits. It merely reformed as soon as it splattered to the ground, seemingly totally unaffected no matter how many times it was torn apart. Finally Miroku threw his staff at Inu-yasha, hitting him in the chest and throwing him back, before whipping the prayer beads off his right hand and sucking up the monster and the dead trees immediately surrounding it.  
  
"Wind Tunnel!!" Miroku shouted as the last of the scenery disappeared into his hand. Inu-yasha stood and shook his head in disorientation, glaring at Miroku with a look that clearly stated, "You stole my kill!!" Miroku merely ignored him, intent on capturing every last trace of the monster before it could recoalesce. At last it was gone, but the stench of it remained, coating everyone but Shippou and Kirara, who cowered behind a tree stump. The scent had finally gotten to Inu-yasha, and he kneeled over the ground, gasping, and looking fairly out of it. Kagome rushed over to support him as Sango touched Miroku's shoulder by way of thanks, and the heroic monk leaned on his staff heavily as he recovered from sucking up so much garbage.  
  
"Well," Kagome said in a halfhearted attempt at sounding cheerful. "Now we have one more reason to find a village: We need baths!"  
  
The rest of the party groaned in agreement.  
  
--- This chapter was fun. ^-^ I read it aloud after writing it to help me with the editing, and my mother thought it was great. Anyway. Gonna go eat dinner at Denny's now, and go to Seattle tomorrow. Hopefully when I get back there will be lots of lovely reviews for me to read! *pokehintpoke* What do you think about my portrayal of the characters? They all seem a little too irritable to me...maybe I should change that...hmm...  
  
Thanks for reading! 


	4. Springtime for Inu in Feudal Japan

Wow, six reviews! I feel loved! Yay! Uh.I found out that there's a computer here at the hotel with internet access; that's how I'm writing this. Forgive me if this chapter is a little strained; I'm not allowed to close the door leading to the hallway and people keep walking past and glaring at me. It's disconcerting. The keyboard is also noisy. Oh well. Onward!  
  
(note: for some reason, my double spaces that I use to separate parts of a chapter turn into single spaces when I upload, so from now on I'm going to use "--" instead to mark a new section, and "*---*" to mark the beginning and ending of each chapter. Whoopee.)  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Inu-yasha, Rumiko Takahashi and Viz do, but I have dibs on his immortal soul.  
  
*---*  
  
The old saying was true: The walk from the battlefield is far longer than the journey leading towards it. The steps of the company were slow and methodical, beyond caring as the rays of the new sun shone on their backside like the mocking eyes of scavengers. Inu-yasha's lids were low, his nose caught in a perpetual grimace due to the stench that followed them. Even Shippou seemed quiet compared to his normal self, as he draped his arms about Kagome's neck and dozed off and on. As the sun rose, the heat increased, until beats of sweat coated Kagome's forehead and upper arms.  
  
"I can't believe we didn't find a village yet," Kagome commented in an apathetic whine.  
  
Shippou stirred from his perch and yawned, sliding from Kagome's shoulder and coming to stand on his own feet. "Yeah. We've been traveling *forever*."  
  
"Shut up," Inu-yasha mumbled, scratching behind a hairy ear in distracted irritation. "Your complaining is only making it worse."  
  
"For once, I must agree with Inu-yasha." Only slightly interested, Kagome turned to face Miroku as he spoke. "Let us dwell instead on more pleasant matters, such as the decrease in demons since we last attacked Naraku. True, we still do battle, but much less often than before. Has no one else noticed this?"  
  
"It's all in your head, Miroku," Inu-yasha replied. "Now shut up and find someone to ask about the barrier. I want Tetsusaiga back!"  
  
"Can't you use your staff to find the right direction, Miroku?" Kagome asked, quickly cutting Inu-yasha off before his ranting could gain much amplitude. "How does that work, anyway? Oh well. At least try to find a water source, as I don't think I could stand another night still covered in this stuff." With a disgruntled wave of her hand, Kagome indicated the dried filth that coated most of her body. It was worst in her hair: she looked more like a mud monster than a human, at that point.  
  
Miroku paused, holding up his staff and admiring it speculatively. "Why, you're absolutely right, Kagome. Trust a pretty woman to think of something as ingenious as that." Miroku turned away from Inu-yasha's red-eyed glare and brought his staff down quickly, lodging the bottom end a few centimeters into the caked earth. He closed his eyes in prayer, then let it drop of its own accord, looking upward when the staff fell slightly to his right. "That way."  
  
"At last!" Suddenly youthful and sprightly once more, Shippou bounded in the direction Miroku indicated, jumping over a blackened ditch in the ground and scampering past it, towards the dusky low hills ahead. The horizon was only visible for a few miles before it disappeared into a featureless haze of dust; they would have trouble spotting a gigantic white demon there, let alone a small town or settlement.  
  
The others followed, slightly less affected but purposeful nonetheless. At last sharp edges began to delineate themselves from the smog, and Kagome let out a gasp of delight as she recognized the vertical pentagon of the short side of a longhouse. They had no sooner come into full view of the village than one of the townspeople saw them, and as to be expected ran towards them, waving a pitchfork threateningly. Miroku raised his hands as a sign of peace and the farmer seemed to settle down, though he kept his pitchfork raised as the dog demon came forward.  
  
"Ho, good villager. I am a simple monk and these are my friends. We are in need of a bath and boarding for one night. Would you be willing to accommodate us in the name of the good Buddha?" Miroku bowed humbly, keeping his eyes suitably lowered to the ground. The farmer eyed him suspiciously, a sign that this village was more oft than not plagued with hostile visitors.  
  
"How do I know ye aren't some manner o'foe? No, I thinks it be safer f'r me 'n me family if ye's leavin now. Go! Go away! We d'n like strange folk here." A bit of spittle flew from the man's voice as he shouted vehemently, and Miroku wiped it from his cheek in irritation.  
  
"Please, sir, we have traveled far and w-Dear Buddha! What is that?!" Miroku pointed directly above the roof of the man's farmhouse and started marching towards it, raising his staff in readiness as he moved. "Stand back, man, if you value your life! There is an evil aura hanging above your abode! Please, allow us to stay with you this night and I will dispel the evil cloud immediately!"  
  
The farmer snorted, then started laughing excessively, startling all of them. Kagome peered at the man in disbelief as Miroku hesitated and watched the man, completely caught unaware. 'That plan always works,' Miroku mused, his brows slightly furrowed in anger at the man's effrontery. 'Why was it unsuccessful this time?'  
  
"Fool o' a monk, yeer lies will not work 'ere. This village is protected by a powerful priest, so ye see, what ye say c'n't be true. Go away, before I set me dogs on ye!" The farmer laughed and made a rude gesture in Miroku's face, showing his total disrespect for the monk's position. Miroku's gaze grew dark, and his hands itched for the man's throat. Only the knowledge that this was the only village for miles kept him at bay, though inside his mind he played through lovely fantasies of removing the farmer from his tongue.  
  
"Give it up, Miroku." Inu-yasha snorted and wiped at his nose unceremoniously. "'Sides, I have *no* desire to share a house with a bunch of pigs like these villagers." Inu-yasha laughed, then grunted as Kagome jabbed him in the stomach with her elbow.  
  
"How stupid are you?!" Kagome hissed fiercely, knowing only Inu-yasha could hear. "Do you want a bath or not?"  
  
Sango, however, was thinking of other things. "A priest, you say?" she asked, leaning on Kiraikotsu and looking towards the farmer curiously. "A powerful one? Do you think we could speak with him?"  
  
Kagome looked up at Sango's tone, and sent her an inquiring glance. "Are you planning to ask the priest about the temple?" she whispered, realizing the possibility and wondering why she hadn't thought of it herself. Sango affirmed her conjecture with a slight tilt of her head, and Kagome smiled, turning towards the farmer with a coy smirk on her lips.  
  
The man looked from one female to the other, his expression the archetype of incredulity. "Yes...what be he to ye? Do ye plan to kill 'm?!"  
  
"No, no! We simply have some...questions...for the good priest. Please, allow us to speak with him. In the name of Buddha," Miroku added, stepping forward as a mark of his earnestness. The farmer hesitated for a long moment, then finally bowed, a signal that they could pass. Miroku smiled and made a gesture over the man's head as he passed. "Walk with Buddha."  
  
"That went well," Kagome stated as they traveled through the village towards the bathhouse. "Hey, aren't we going to speak to the priest now?" She asked Miroku, noticing the direction they were headed.  
  
"No. First we must bathe and feed ourselves; to do otherwise would be a sign of disrespect to the priest," Miroku explained. Spying a plaque that advertised a public bathhouse, Miroku walked to the door and held it open for the females, letting it shut in Inu-yasha's face as he followed the women. Inu-yasha growled but discovered Miroku had already begun negotiations with the owner of the bathhouse, and after a few skillful compliments on the owner's "fine curls" and "exemplary skin", the flattered hostess ushered them forward, calling to her servants to bring them towels and soaps.  
  
The group separated into the men's and women's bath chambers and sent their clothing off to be washed as well, though Inu-yasha refused to part with his fire rat robe (much to Kagome's disgust). The girls took turns scrubbing each other's backs, as Shippou jovially doused a disgruntled Inu- yasha with hot water and Miroku quietly cleansed himself by the embers of the sauna. All too soon their time was up and Kagome was forced to dry herself off and put on a set of robes that were ordained to be used until their clothing was dried in the sun. Sango pulled her hair tight with a ribbon and Kagome couldn't help laughing when the men came out, Inu-yasha's ears and hair soaked through to the roots. Kagome greeted Shippou with a smile as the kitsune bounced onto her shoulder, and winced as Kirara suddenly decided to shake her coat and spray them all in the process.  
  
"Well, that was pleasant," Inu-yasha muttered in a displeased tone. "Have you forgotten about our weapons, monk?"  
  
"Not at all, Inu-yasha," Miroku countered, his reply ready on his tongue. "While we were in the bath, I was considering what to say to the priest. I have decided we should test him first, to see if he is trustworthy, before telling him of our plight. Otherwise, he might send out warriors with a counterspell and steal our weapons from right under our noses."  
  
Inu-yasha shuddered and shook his head, apparently unsettled at having water dribble down his ear canal. "How the hell do you test a priest? Ask him to recite some religious mantra?"  
  
"No. You'll see." Miroku bowed to the hostess and rewarded her with a prolonged kiss on the hand at the exit, while Sango stroked her boomerang in readiness, supposedly testing that it had not been damaged after having its ropes and tassels washed.  
  
"Let's go, Miroku." With a tug on Miroku's arm, Kagome led the reluctant monk out of the bathhouse and onto the street, where she paused and waited for the rest of the group before posing her next question. "Should we see him now? Do we just go up to the temple and ask to see him?"  
  
"Though it's usually considered rude, I'm afraid we'll have to in this case...and as for eating, we'll have to do that after." Miroku patted Kagome's shoulder reassuringly after her stomach let out a tremendous growl. Kagome blushed and tried to shrink into the background, following slowly when they walked to the temple.  
  
As they rounded a gathering of residential houses, the small home of the priest came into view, almost unnoticed in its simplicity. Only the telltale styles of the roof fixtures made it apparent that it was a temple, and Kagome admired them for their minimalism, as opposed to the useless grandiosity of most temples. "Kind of boring, isn't it?" Inu-yasha announced, startling her from her thoughts. "Are you sure this is where he lives?"  
  
"Yes." Miroku stepped forward and bowed his head to the lone guard standing near the entrance. "We seek an audience with the priest who resides here," the monk stated, bowing slightly. "Please give him word that a monk waits outside for him."  
  
The guard eyed him, then nodded, disappearing into the building only to return a few minutes later. "You may enter," the guard said, pushing open the door for the monk and his friends. Nodding in thanks, Miroku and the others entered.  
  
"Hello, Miroku, monk and Ruler of the Wind Tunnel. Hello, Inu-yasha, son of the Demon Lord of the Western Lands. I have been expecting you," said the dark, veiled voice from the depths of the interior. Inu-yasha blinked and grabbed at his sheath absently as an automatic reaction.  
  
'Naraku?!'  
  
*---* Is it Naraku? Or maybe his goodly brother? Maybe it's Bill Cosby! Maybe it's Sesshoumaru (well, I already told you Sesshou doesn't make an appearance, but still) who can it be? Read the next chapter to find out!  
  
I rambled on this chapter. Sorry. I'll write better when I get home. I'll try to write a new chapter before I leave if people ask it; otherwise I'll probably wait until next weekend, as I have school immediately following my return (stupid school).  
  
Um...Enjoy! And thanks for reading!  
  
And thanks again for the reviews! 


	5. Shouting Into an Empty Room

I've been working on this chapter the past few days now; it's been ridiculously hard for me to get it out, for some reason. But I just received a very nice review someone, so hopefully it will give me the motivation to finally finish writing and editing this chapter. Here goes something.  
  
Disclaimer: Inu-yasha and co. © Rumiko Takahashi, but (insert clever remark here)  
  
*---*  
  
A short silence, strangely warm, followed after the priest's comment. He rose from a platform and approached them, and as the curate stepped into the light, he revealed himself to be nothing more than a frail old man. Inu- yasha unclenched his fist slightly as he flooded with relief, but remained wary and ready to defend himself if it became necessary. It was doubtful that Naraku would ever take on the form of such a weak individual, but there was always the possibility. Naraku was an incredibly devious enemy.  
  
"I know it is futile to state it, but lower your guard, lad. There is no danger for you here." Inu-yasha blinked, startled at the priest's tone of addressing him. He had no appreciation for being reminded of his lack of maturity, but the priest seemed utterly unaffected by his ire. Besides, Kagome was already aware of his tenseness and had laid a hand on his shoulder, both for comfort and as a warning. After a moment of unspoken deliberation, Inu-yasha lowered his limbs and contented himself with glaring at the priest suspiciously.  
  
"We have come to ask you questions regarding a nearby temple," Miroku said, coming forward and bowing to the priest respectively. "Do you know much about it?"  
  
The elder smiled slightly, the edges of his mouth crinkling with a wryness that did not seem to match the rest of his demeanor. "Of course I do. I am its designated caretaker."  
  
Miroku's eyes widened and he was careful to keep his tone guarded. "Then you know the properties of the barrier? Are you the one who set it up?"  
  
"Your questions will be answered in good time. Please, sit and join me for some tea. I know you have not eaten since you arrived at this village, and you were surely hungry before then." Miroku made a gesture as if to deny it, but the man was already folding in his legs as he prepared to sit beside a little table draped with a golden embroidered cloth, and his velveteen cushion gave off a small cloud of dust as he reclined into it. It was obvious these items were not used often; the priest did not seem to have a taste for ornate and ostentatious material objects. It was just as well, for such a person would probably demand monetary compensation for his advice.  
  
Kagome hesitantly moved forward and sat across the table from him, patting the cushion first to dispel some of the dust. Smiling, he took up a tiny bell from the table and gave it a shake. Almost immediately a servant entered the room, bearing a tray of teacups and a plate of various pastries. "You'll have to forgive me," the priest said as the others reluctantly sat at the table. "I was uncertain of your precise time of arrival, and the water cooled while I waited. It's being reheated as we speak." He turned and smiled with the same slight, almost forbearing expression as Inu-yasha looked down from his stand by the table. The priest must have conceded Inu-yasha that round, because he merely folded his hands upon the wood and faced Miroku, his expression fairly serious.  
  
"I did indeed order the casting of that barrier spell, but before you demand for an answer on how to disperse it, listen to me. The spell was not induced by myself; as a dedicated clergyman, I am unable to affect anything directly magical. Instead, I hired a professional ward-caster from the capital, and had him cast the spell. However, the warder misinterpreted my instruction, and created a barrier that protected the shrine from outside, rather than keeping everything safely entrapped within. By the time I found out of this error, though, the warder was long gone, and the counterspell for the barrier gone with him. I really am sorry, friends, but whatever you have lost within the barrier is most likely gone forever."  
  
Abruptly, Inu-yasha jumped forward and leaned over the table in front of the priest, hitting the panel so hard with his fists that the wood began to splinter. "There is *no way* I'm believing you! There has *got* to be a way to get our weapons back! What aren't you telling us, old man?" Kagome looked on in concern, but Inu-yasha appeared oblivious to her. Miroku cleared his throat and sat perfectly straight, once more acting as the mediator.  
  
"Well, perhaps that is so, but we will not give up just yet. Perhaps we may think of a solution if we better know what we are dealing with. As the caretaker of the shrine, you surely know its history and how it came about to be what it is now. Would you be so kind as to impart us with your knowledge?" Miroku asked, ignoring Inu-yasha as the demon panted in outrage and Kagome tugged on his robes impatiently.  
  
The priest nodded, smiling bitterly. "It is a sad tale, but one that frequently reappears in various forms throughout history. The shrine first belonged to a very young and gifted priest, having been built by his master in honor of the forest god and willed to him in his master's last testament. However, the elder priest passed away while the youth was still in training, and as a result, the young priest still had much arrogance and pride left within him. He ordered a statue to be built of himself for the shrine, and he altered the temple to worship not the forest god, but himself, and even went so far as to promise the local villagers miracles if they paid his shrine homage. His arrogance was so great that one day, a traveling miko visited the shrine and injured the priest with one of her holy arrows. The arrows were meant only to purify, but because of his corrupt but human nature, the priest began to die. In an effort to save his soul, the priest cast a spell that preserved his spirit within his self- image statue, but the miko committed him one last humbling insult, by changing the properties of the statue until it represented his true nature. The miko left soon after, leaving the shrine abandoned."  
  
"But what about the statue? What does it look like now?" Kagome asked softly, thinking about his description of the miko's arrows and wondering if she had a similar power.  
  
They looked up as the beads lining the doorway rustled and clicked, and a servant woman stepped through silently, bowing to the priest and his company before setting a teakettle and bags of various flavors of tea upon the table. Miroku looked at the woman a moment appraisingly, but a quick jab in the side from Kagome on his right and an unpleasant grunt from Sango on his left encouraged him to frown and turn his attentions back to the priest.  
  
"As I said, the miko charmed the statue to take on the guise of the youth's true nature. Because of his arrogance and money-laundering character, the youth was represented by a hideous boar, with three faces and cloven hooves. It is a truly repulsive creature now, but it's nothing he was not deserving of." With a finalizing clack, the elder set the kettle back on its plate and stirred his tea quietly. Kagome watched him, waiting for any additional comments, but it became apparent his story was over.  
  
Miroku turned from the doorway as the servant disappeared through it and said, "But you claimed you were the one who ordered the casting of the barrier. What do you know of its current constitution? It withheld any inanimate objects that made contact with it, yet repelled our living flesh. Was that the same effect you had desired, only inverted?" He was stroking his wrist absently, perhaps remembering the pain inflicted when he cleared the barrier of its illusion spell. "And what of its reflective properties? It showed Inu-yasha and I members of our past lineage. What could possibly be the purpose of that?"  
  
"Ah, the bloodline-repla." Chuckling, the priest raised his hand and began stroking his beard slowly. "It was truly an ingenious plan, if I do say so. Of course it was meant to have that effect only when seen from inside, and the purpose was to frighten the young priest so that he would return to his statue whenever his spirit tried to wander. Surely so arrogant an individual must come from a long line of such hubris; at least, that's what we hoped. Or perhaps seeing himself as one of his great grandfathers would frighten the youth by showing what he would become, had his current course in life continued. I really don't know anymore. I suppose I was just having a senior moment," he finished with a crooked smile. Kagome returned the expression uneasily, unsure if the man was amused by his idea or his fickle nature. Inu-yasha made a small noise of disgust in his throat, but she ignored him.  
  
The priest glanced at Inu-yasha squarely. "You were expecting an answer. I told you, I have none. If indeed there is a way to retrieve your weapons, I'm afraid you'll have to determine how yourself. Now," he reached forward and took a fruit-filled cookie from the tray on the table and bit into it adroitly. "There is no point in starving yourselves further. Relax, eat, and I will lead you to your rooms later. I have no love of that temple or its barrier, and would just as well do away with it as protect it. If you should find a way to destroy both, I would be most obliged." Smiling, he nodded, waiting until each of them reluctantly took a pastry or cup of tea to sip. They were undeniably famished, but the strangeness of the situation kept them hesitant. Eventually, though, hunger won out, and they ate the meal the priest provided after he called in his servants and gave them more orders. Shippou and Kirara seemed content, which allowed the rest of them to relax slightly as well. 'Maybe,' Kagome thought as the priest bid them rise and began to lead them down a hallway outside. 'Maybe, he's just a nice person...' Her last thought trailed off into doubt, and she watched Inu-yasha stalk along beside the priest with a saddened and worried expression. 'Whatever the case, I hope we find a way to get Tetsusaiga back. I don't even want to *think* about what Inu-yasha would do if we can't find a way.' Her imagination flashed, showing episodes of Inu-yasha hurting himself by ramming into the wall and even trying to jump over it from far above in the trees, and she shuddered in response to all of them. 'He'd kill himself for sure!' Hopefully, though, they would find a way. They had to. There was no way Inu-yasha would ever stop trying if they didn't.  
  
*---*  
  
Well, that completely deviated from the plan...they were just supposed to get the cure from the priest then go back to the temple and deal with the next flood of events, but as you can see, things didn't turn out that way...  
  
Hopefully, though, this is more interesting. This chapter had no action at all, just like the last one. I'm sorry. Don't worry, though; next chapter there's a grand ol' battle royal! Yay! Or something...er.  
  
I sort of made up a new meaning for the word "warder". I'm sorry. Just blame it on literary license.  
  
"Until next time" is Saro's () saying, so I'm just going to say "Thanks for reading, and be sure to come back for more!" instead. Ugh, corny, but I can't think of anything better. Hey! I'll give a cookie to whoever can give me a good thing to say at the end of each chapter.  
  
Until then, though...  
  
Thanks for reading, and be sure to come back for more! 


End file.
